Alex 2.2

There is a kangaroo named Bandit loose in upstate New York about 20 miles from Syracuse. It is a wallaroo a large species of kangaroo , it is about one year old and three feet tall. People called the police when they saw it while they were driving. The owner bought Bandit last month for a wildlife education program that he intends to start next year. Bandit has been loose for three weeks, the owner believes that someone broke into his barn and let Bandit loose intentionally

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_fe_st/odd_wayward_wallaroo;_ylt=AjnQN96FN1qXBJi0pASM3eLtiBIF

Mele 4.2

I was checking out some articles on my Google reader and found this one article off of Reuters which said that officials think at least a third of the worlds population will become infected with the H1N1 (swine flu). Its pretty scary to think that much people will get infected by it....

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5430S820090508?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Alex 2.1

Last Sunday was opening day for regular turkey season, I went out with my uncle and shot a 15 pound jake with a 5 inch beard and a second beard that was like 1 inch. My mom went with Jim and they both got one, my mom's was 20 pounds with a 9 inch beard and Jim's was 18 pounds and had a 8 inch beard. Overall it was really fun and I cant wait to go next year again.

John 3.5

I just listened to a song that Kyle made on Garageband. I really liked how he put together the two guitar tracks, piano track, and drum track to make a great sounding song. It was simple, but also very elaborate at the same time.

http://www.archive.org/details/ASimpleSong

Mele 4.1

On my google reader there is this really cool site offered called think geek. It is a page that shows new technology like iPod accessories and shirts that probably only geeks would wear. I really recommend checking it out it has a couple cool things that are definitely worth looking at!!
http://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=my#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.thinkgeek.com%2Fthinkgeek.rss

derek d.-4.1

An article that I found on google reader talked about how the new "Star Trek" movie is actually a really good movie. I was surprised about the good response it got because from the previews it looked pretty inane. But it probably didn't look good to me because I am not a Star Trek fan. I tried watching one episode of it and I couldn't do it, it was just to weird. But I am interested in movies and when I heard that they ere going to make a Star Trek movie I expected everyone to be mad because a lot of people are devoted fans to the franchise and probably want people to leave its legacy alone. But I guess that J.J. Abrams rendition of Star Trek is really good and a lot of critics are praising Star Trek.

http://www.google.com/reader/view/#search/movies/3

Mele 2.4

With The Pussycat Dolls now finished with the circus tour they are now releasing more singles. Their new single is called Hush Hush and I am pretty excited for it to come out. They just recently finished filming the music video and should be releasing it to the public soon. Here is a link for the song (lyrics included) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoxVsoYnnzs

Cameron 2.4 (5.7.09)

Here is a video that we took at the concert we went to this past Sunday! This was from the front row of the west wing because it was set up like a three-ring circus because the tour is The Circus Starring: Britney Spears, and her newest album is titled 'Circus.' It was an amazing concert, and it was so cool being this close to her!

derek d-2.3

A book that I have a connection to is "The Hungry Little Caterpillar" because I remember when Ms. Smith, my kindergarten teacher from years ago, would read it to the class. I don't know why I remember that specific book because she read like tons of books to us but it just stood out to me because it had pop up pictures and it was a pretty interesting story. But whenever I read it to the kids in mentoring I just think back to my kindergarten days and remember how much fun it was.

Cameron 2.3 (5.7.09)

The hype for the sequel of 'Twilight' is building as they are getting ready for the new movie, 'New Moon.' Though I am a fan myself of the 'Twilight' series I have to say 'New Moon' is by far the worst book of the series. I really do not think this movie will be as good as the last one. This book just seems so boring and not as interesting as the last one. If you really want to like this book you really need to get use to the Jacob Black character which I am having a hard time doing because I just don't like him, he is not interesting. If you were a Edward Cullen fan then you are out of luck because he is hardly in this book, and it is kind of disappointing because what makes the Twilight series is when Bella and Edward are together, and it is not happening. But I guess reports are saying that the cast thinks this movie will actually be better than the book itself. I guess we will have to wait until mid November to really find out.

Mele 2.3

I really good book that I just recently read is Nick and Nora's Infinite playlist. It is nothing like the movie in away except maybe theme wise. In the book its about Nick wanting to seem over his ex girlfriend so he ask Nora to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes and become sort of attached. After a long night of fun they end up falling in love. In the movie its Nora who ask Nick to be her boyfriend for 5 minutes because she wanted to impress his ex. They really emphasize gum and a band in the movie that really didn't have to do with the book. I think when they make movies they should try their best to really to make the movie more like the book!!!!!!!

derek d-2.4

A song that I got a connection to is "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics. I use to listen to that song all the time as a child and I don't remember why I liked that song but I was just drawned to it because of its music video and the lead singer had like bright orange hair in it and I was just like "wow, orange hair, cool!". But whenever I hear it I just take a trip back to those good ole days when I was young and it just brings back memories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moqodfkprs0

derek d-2.2

I watched this pretty cool news broadcast on a dog that saved his owners life from a mountain lion. He took his dog on a hike and a mountain lion came out of nowhere and was about to attack the guy when the dog chased after it and attacked it. The dog did get injured but not to badly.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/05/06/lopez.ca.dog.mountain.lion.kcbskcal

Cameron 2.2 (5.7.09)

The night before our concert, a crazy fan managed to jump on the stage and get right in Britney's face, of course without harming her. 20-year old, Kyle King, decided he would jump on the stage and do a little dance with Britney, on her encore of 'Womanizer.' He was quickly taken off the stage though by several of Britney's dancers. Though not mentioned in any news articles, Mele and I talked to Mohegan Sun security, where the incident happened, and they were telling us that the man was thrown off the stage and then tackled by security and beaten. King was then arrested for breach of peace and has to later appear in court in June, after posting a $250 bond. After his twenty seconds of fame and the huge lesson he learned, well not really, he claims he does not regret doing this and that he would do it again. He said he ended up getting so close that he could even hear Britney's reaction as she screamed, "Oh my god, oh my god!" Which made people speculate and try and put an end to lip sync rumors as it proved she might be because the microphone didn't pick up her screams. This makes me a little mad because when we went to our concert I can say you could tell she did lip sync some songs, but she definitely was really singing at some points. So just because of this incident people can't jump to conclusions and assume now she does really lip sync.

Kyle 2.4

Yesterday was Mr. Flateau's birthday. So, for a gift the chorus came up with their own version of Let It Be by The Beatles.

"When I find myself running the mile,
Coach Flateau comes to me
running like a banshee
he kinda scares me

And in my hour of physics
he is standing right in front of me
speaking words of speed
velocity

Velocity, velocity, velocity, velocity
speaking words of speed, velocity

He loves when students take his classes
all except for botany
stupid freaking plants
botany

But though they may be parted
there is still a chance that they may part
we'll use a solution
chemistry

Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry, chemistry
Chemistry's so much better than botany

Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry, chemistry
Chemistry's so much butter than botany

And when the night is cloudy
Lily's smile shines on me
shine until tomorrow
Liltle lily

I wake up to the sound of puking
Papa flateau comes to see
"GET ME BACK TO WOODSVILLE!
PRETTY PLEASE!"

He kinda scares me, velocity
dang botany, chemistry
little lily puking, please not on me.

teaching kids, coaching track
dealing with mrs. flateau's crap
happy birthday to, mr. flateau!!!!!"

derek d-2.1

Only about five more weeks are left of school and I am so excited! I can't wait for summer because I am going be able to get a car and I am going to have two jobs so I will be making a good amount of money. The only thing that I am worried about is that I am going to be working a lot and I don't know if I will be able to handle it. I think that it will tire me out after about the first week. I am going to be working 5 to 6 days a week and I am probably going to be so tired and burned out after the summer. But I am sure that I can handle it because not to brag or anything but I am a good worker and it takes a lot to tire me out.

Mele 2.2

On May 2 Britney performed at the Mohegan Sun and was nearly done with the concert when a crazed man jumped on stage and ran right up to her face. All he wanted to do was dance the last song with her but really didn't even get a chance. Watching the video you could see that she was very scared and wanted him off the stage asap so her dancers threw him off and he was arrested and a $250 bail was posted.

I really don't know why anyone would do this sober or drunk because it is REALLY stupid. Her body guards were pretty huge and I don't know how he got on the stage and was able to get right up to her face before one of her dancers pushed him away. Looking at this she needs some better security guards.
http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1170363&format=comments#CommentsArea

Cameron 2.1 (5.6.09)

This past Sunday was the best day I have had in a very long time. It was the day Mele, Alice, and I went to a Britney Spears concert all the way in Uncasville, CT. It was certainly a worry that we weren't even going to make this concert that we had purchased the tickets for because we had no ride. But then a good friend of ours offered to bring us like two days before the show and then we ended up actually going. I was very fortunate for this friend bringing us, even though it cost us an extra $150 on top of the $250 a ticket.
No matter what the cost was it was definitely worth it because we bought general admission tickets meaning we were on the floor near the stage but could have been front row, in the middle, or the way back. But once they opened those doors and started collecting tickets, I have never ran so fast in my life as I bolted for the floor and ended up getting us front row seats!!! And let me tell you having front row seats is the best experience ever, especially when the star of the show actually looks at you and notices you in the crowd. This happened when the opening act, the Pussycat Dolls, lead singer Nicole Scherzinger saw me waving my glow stick in the air, waving to her, and then she pointed right at me and said, "I love you too!" I could not believe that had happened to me.
After the Pussycat Dolls got off the stage the Big Apple Circus came on and performed for a little bit, hence the name of the tour being The Circus Starring: Britney Spears because her new album is titled 'Circus'. After 15 minutes of fascinating circus stunts the show finally started as we saw Britney, the star of the show, descend from the ceiling opening the show with her hit single, "Circus." The show went through pretty fast and it was sad when she came back on for the encore, "Womanizer" as we all knew this was the last performance she was going to do in the United States for a while. The whole stadium roared with cheers and screams for Britney, as everyone was definitely showing her the love which is great for her. She ended the show in a wall of fireworks surrounding her and her dancers, then quickly exiting off saying, "goodnight Connecticut, I love you!" Then she was gone. She was probably so fast to get off the stage so there wouldn't be another incident of a fan jumping on stage during her performance and scaring her half to death, the night before at the same arena, The Mohegan Sun.
This was certainly one of the best, well just maybe the best night of my life. It feels great to see Britney come back on stage and doing what she use to do, and not going back to bad habits from a year ago. I am just hoping she stays on this road and continues to put out new music, and maybe go on another tour in the United States because I can tell you I will be at that concert.

Mele 2.1

Over the weekend me, Cameron, and Alice went to the last Britney Spears circus tour in the US. The ride was about 4 hours but wasn't that boring because the people that brought us were pretty funny and cool. Once we got there we looked around a little and the Mohegan Sun was HUGE. It literally had everything you could think of. We waited outside of the Arena for about an hour and saw all of Britney's dancers and crew passing us to prepare for the show. Once in the arena we ran to get a spot near the stage and luckily we got front row. Waiting for the show wasn't to bad because there was some pretty cool people talking to us and Britney Spear's brother in law was talking to us about how awesome the show was.

After we waited for about an hour The Pussycat Dolls to finally come on. They were amazing and really interacted with their fans. Cameron and me had glow sticks and were waving them in the air to get noticed, the lead singer noticed us and pointed and smiled. After another one came to our side and started dancing so I made a heart with my hands and pointed at her. She actually saw me laughed and waved. Towards the end my favorite Doll came over to our side to dance and was doing amazing. I waved and screamed that I love her and she looked at me and gave me the rock on symbol which was awesome. Shortly after they had to end. It was their last show with Britney so all the clowns went on stage and started to dance with them.

Once they ended I thought it was going to take forever for Britney to start but her crew got up on stage and started dancing and doing all this cool stuff like spinning a giant box and doing flips. They were on stage for about 10 minutes then Britney came on. Her show was really awesome and we were literally about arms length away from her. I was so happy until her GIANT body guard decided to stand in front of me and block my view.

Over all it was a amazing show and I would def go again.

Hannah 2.2

The UK has recently tightened its grip on who can come into the country. Since 2005 the government has been given permission to deny anyone who might harm the country or who seem to be extremely radical. Some of the 2009 list of people not allowed include "Islamic extremists, white supremacists and a US radio host", all of whom the government has decided are unwelcome for their radical ideas and anti-something propaganda.

I find this interesting because some people have remarked that is crossing over into discrimination, but aren't many Americans always preaching that we should protect our "homeland" better? It seems to me that this idea has roots in sanity, but at the same time when will it be deemed as going too far? Although I think countries should be allowed to choose who they want coming into their country (we do) I don't feel entirely comfortable with people such as Martha Stewart and benign people like that being put on the list. It seems to me that the more we cut down the lines of communication between people the bigger our problems will be. If dissenting ideas cannot be tolerated how will change come about?

Hannah 2.3

I find it kind of ironic that I am reading The Plague right now amidst all this panic about the swine flu. This book was originally written in French during the 1940s, so it makes references to places that I am not familiar with. I think the story is interesting, but particularly because the author is not talking about a physical illness, even though that can be assumed. It seems to me that the plague can actually be viewed as a way that people act towards things that are unusual. At first the townspeople don't really care about the disease, even though it killed many people. Later on they began to realize it was severe, but most didn't really care about being sick, what they hated the most was being separated from their loved ones. As the death toll mounts the lovers still feel optimistic that they will be together again soon.

The plague itself is described gruesomely and it seems to resemble the bubonic plague, but it is never referred to it as that. The government didn't acknowledge the disease until it had killed hundreds of people, which shows how oblivious people can be to things they don't want to see.

So far I like this book and am about halfway through. Hopefully I can finish it this weekend then start Moll Flanders next.

Kyle 2.2

Obama administration rolls out 'White House 2.0'

The White House has now launched pages on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Vimeo, YouTube, and iTunes. The White House thinks because of the great use of computers it is a great way to communicate with the nation.

2.3 andrew

this picture reminds me of the choir i sang in festival. there was probably the same amount of people in it too.

Hannah 2.4

I was recently listening to the White Stripes and my favorite song by them would have to be "Take, Take, Take". The lyrics are about a man sitting a bar and he's content just being there. Gradually his needs increase, but all the while he says, "That's all that I need". I think this song is perfect for today's society when we are only content having everything we want. What ever happened to wanting things and not ever getting them? I think it is important to want some things that you know you will never have because it keeps reality in check. Some people will go out on a buying spree and not realize until they are done that they don't have the means to pay for it. I think people need to have reality checks every once in a while.

Here are the lyrics:

I was sitting there in a comfortable chair
And that was all that I needed
Then my friend offered me a drink for us to share
And that was all that I needed
Well, then I felt at ease
But then I'm not too hard to please
I guess you couldn't call me greedy
Then I was shocked to look up
And see Rita Hayworth there in a place so seedy
She walked into the bar with her long, red, curly hair
And that was all that I needed
And I said to my friend, "Good God, we're lucky men just to even see her"
Take, take, take
Take, take, take
Take, take, take
And I could not resist, I just had to get close to her
And that was all that I needed
I walked and loomed around her table for a while
And that was all that I needed
Then I said, "I hate to bug you, ma'am, but can I have your autograph?"
And that was all that I needed
She pressed her lips against a white piece of paper
And that was all that I needed
Then I saw what she wrote, my heart is in my mouth
And that was all that I needed
Then she handed it to me, and I think that she could see
That that was all that I needed
I started to walk away but then I remembered 'hey, I forgot to get a picture'
So I asked her one more time, "could I have another favor?"
That was all that I needed
She was kind and posed with me
Then I knew my friend would see my celebrity meeting
Take, take, take
Take, take, take
Take, take, take
She turned and said to me, "I need to go to sleep,"
And it seemed so mean
It's almost as if she could not appreciate how cool I was being
She said, "good night" and walked away
And I didn't know what to say
I just couldn't believe it
Well, it's just not fair
I want to get a piece of hair
That was all that I needed
Or maybe a kiss on the cheek
I wouldn't wash it for a week
That would be all that I needed
But she didn't even care
That I was even there
What a horrible feeling

Pregnant Woman Faces Death by Firing Squad

2.2

Samantha Orobator is a British citizen who was arrested in Laos for possession of over a half-kilogram of heroin. The punishment for this in Laos is traditionally the death penalty; but, as a complication, Orobator was impregnated in jail, presumably not consensually.

This is a lot to take in for Jane Orobator, Samantha's mother, who had no idea that her 20-year-old daughter was engaging in such activities as drug trafficking, or even had been in Laos.

Orobator's case is under continuous discussion, and the British authorities are in constant contact with Laotian authorities over the case.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/04/laos.british.woman.drugs.trial/index.html

~Peter

Section 2.4 John

During our last vacation, I borrowed the movie Step Brothers from my friend. I have to say that it is one of the funniest movies I have seen in awhile. It's funny in a blunt way, not just stupid jokes like some comedy movies. I think that just watching grown men acting like children is funny for just about anyone. I would recommend this movie to most people, but if you are wary of watching R rated movies then I would not recommend it to you. But, all in all, it is a great movie that is worthy of lots of praise.

Kyle 2.1

This summer is going to be a very busy one for me. I have to go to my aunt's wedding down by the coast. Then I am going to be in Wyoming for a week. That week should be pretty sweet. Before I leave I am helping coach at Mr. Ackerman's soccer camp. I went every year sense I was old enough to. So, It's like a full circle of learning and teaching. After I get back from Wyoming, I go to Keene for a soccer camp with the team. Hopefully it wont rain the whole week this year. I think I'm rooming with Pete so that will be a good time. I will also play on at least one summer soccer team. I am hoping to play on the men's team because it will make me a stronger player and I will learn a lot, mainly because of the two ex-professional players. My family in California want to take me to the X-Games and I don't know if that will happen because I still have to find a job.

2.2 andrew

The Boston Globe is threatening to end there newspaper if they cant get money to pay for everything. they want $10 million from the Boston Newspaper Guild, $5 million from the mailers, $2.5 million from the delivery truck drivers and $2.2 million from the press operators.

Hannah 2.1

The only thing I am thinking about right now is going home and going to bed. I have my AP test this Friday and therefore will be incapacitated for the rest of the day. I am worried about this test because I have to get a three to get college credit. I would hate to have taken this stupid VHS class for nothing. I learned more about the country than I would ever want to know. It seems that the book we used was written by a right wing Republican and my teacher was most definitely a Republican, which ticked me off. I got into many arguments because he believed that history was not meant to be discussed, just studied. That doesn't make any sense to me as history can been seen through many different glasses. History has always fascinated me and I will not have my love of it killed by some ignorant teacher who can't take time out of his busy schedule to consider other people's ideas.

I also am ticked that I seem to be wasting the rest of my time here doing asinine, repetitive things. I don't want to be here today AT ALL.

John section 2.3

I recently read the book Intensity by Dean Koontz. The book was about a woman named Chyna Shepard who witnessed the killings of her best friend and their whole family. She pursued the killer in hopes of repaying him for what he had done to her friend, but ended up being overpowered by him and locked up in his house. She finds out that the man is holding a young girl hostage there too, and she eventually breaks free and saves herself and the girl. The book is a great one, full of mystery and suspense. I recommend it to anyone who likes books that are suspenseful and very detailed.

2.4 Nick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejc9GrooSKg

I wish i was a teleporting fatguy.

TREACHERY.

2.3

"Frodo wouldn't've got far without old Sam."

I'm sure that most or all of us saw the Lord of the Rings movies. It's debatable whether we all liked them.

But if you DID watch The Return of the King, then I bet most of you were teary-eyed when, about half-way through, Frodo Baggins LEAVES his faithful servant, Samwise Gamgee, to the birds, in the middle of Mordor.

I think I cried when I saw that the first time.

Anyway, a few interesting bits of information. First of all, the part where Sam and Frodo crossed Shelob's Lair wasn't in Return of the King, it was actually in The Two Towers, also an excellent book.

Oh yeah; and the abandoning part NEVER HAPPENED.

Certainly, Gollum led them all straight into the face of a giant frickin' spider, but Frodo never left Sam on the Stair of Cirith Ungul! I was outraged! That's, like, the saddest I've ever been in a movie...just about ever.

I...I think it'll be a while before I can trust again...

~Peter

John 2.2

Today, I heard that the swine flu has been spreading to many states in the US. There have been at least 20 confirmed cases in the US and there is even one in a school in southern New Hampshire. I think that it is only a matter of time before the flu spreads to schools in our area, and we might have to close the schools, like they have done to the schools around the US. If we have to miss more days of school and go more days during the summer, I will be genuinely angry.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/04/swine.flu.main/index.html

nick 2.3

http://media.photobucket.com/image/random/Jade_2010_16/Random/a95ea778c77253f06e229bd7868c1c48f78.jpg?o=18

This button perfectly dipicts me. when i cant think of something to say, I say a random word.

nick 2.2

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090503/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_toilets_crash;_ylt=AuSTs8YejJOs1SDUCjJFS4_tiBIF

That is a perfect reason why toilet humor is great. I bet this guy makes jokes about landing on port-a-potties.

John 2.1

Yesterday, as a present for my 15th birthday, my dad let me drive the car on the roads. I think that this is a sign that my dad thinks that I am becoming more mature and am able to handle the responsibility of driving. This is a big deal for me considering I have wanted to drive ever since I was in sixth grade, and now that I am able to actually do it with my parents consent just makes me feel very good about myself. This will also help me in the long run in practicing for drivers ed and will also probably impress the teacher, because I am already experienced.

Nick 2.1

So I'm finally registering my truck next wednesday, and then i am putting insurance on it the next day. Ill problably drive to school on the 15th just for giggles.

SATs...

I did not take the SATs on Saturday. I probably should have, because "Saturday" begins with "SAT," and my convoluted brain classifies that as good luck. However, I was late in my sign up, and thenceforth disqualified.

I'm taking them in June, or July, or something. However, I'm FREAKED out because of them.

I didn't do much studying for the PSATs, and I did vaguely above average on those, which is by no means acceptable. However, given that I did above-average, I suppose that studying should allow me to boast exceptional grades on the actual SAT.

Ergo, I began studying, with the assistance of a book my Mom got for me, known as Boot Camp for your Brain. It provided me with modules with which to study mathematics, my total weak point on the PSATs. So every other day for 20 minutes, I study the mathematics module in the book, and try to embed it in my brain.

So it's been about two weeks, and I've come to the end of the mathematics module. At the end, it had some worksheet-type questions that you can expect to be found on the SAT. I did NOT get very many of them correct.

This is what's getting me. After the work I did, I couldn't seem to manage the questions. Maybe I'm being illogical, though. The principle of this book is teaching by repetition, and I've only read the desired segment once, so perhaps that's why the desired results aren't present.

I don't know. At any rate, it's enough to cause me to worry!

~Peter

Ebooks vs Print Books

In today’s world, technology has advanced in so many different ways, either it being for the good or it just being for the worst. Take E-books as an example, they are a huge advancement in the book industry, taking regular text and making it into an electronic book, hence the name E-books. But are E-books all really that good? Yes they may save on lots of paper but again the amount of electricity that is used to read an E-book that does not compare to the amount of paper used.
We both do not like the idea of E-books. Though people may say E-books are cheaper because there are some E-books that can be accessed for free online, but how reliable is that text? Do you know the person that actually posted it? These are questions we think about when it comes to reading an E-book online. It is certainly a type of text that can not be trusted fully, as for a regular book that is the actual book itself, definitely reliable for the accurate text.
Back onto the subject of E-books being cheaper to access than a regular book, is this all the truth, or are they really more expensive than a regular book? Mele and I believe E-books to be actually a much more wallet thief than a book because in order to access some E-books you have to have the internet or some sort of application on a cell phone. Internet and cell phones, hmm those don't come cheap at all, they come with a big price tag. Instead of paying $20 on a book you may be spending $50-$100 a month just to read a book, and a book that might not even be as accurate as the actual text. These are things people should think about when they say they rather invest into E-books rather than going to the store and buying a book off the shelf.

Print News vs. Online News, John and Butler

I believe that if you compare print news and online news, you will find that online news is more convenient and easier to view if you have access to a computer. Online news is usually free and has very little advertisements, as opposed to print news where you have to pay around $1 for a newspaper that is about 50 percent advertisements. Also, when you view your news online, you are able to get the full story on just one page, where in a newspaper you usually have to flip to another page that is far inside the newspaper, which can be a hassle.
Online newspapers have lots of storage space, which will allow you to view older articles, whereas you are only able to have the current articles when you purchase a newspaper. Even for people who want to read local newpapers, they may think that they are not available online. Many town newspapers are starting to post articles online and will most likely have their entire newspapers online in a matter of years. You are also able to save trees and the environment by viewing news online, and I believe that in a matter of years, all newspapers will become obsolete.

Online TV vs. Regular TV- Andrew and Derek

When it comes to online television versus regular television we think that online television is the better option of the two. 

Online television is better than regular television because with online television you can access your favorite shows at anytime and anywhere. You can watch your shows on your own terms and don't have to deal with time slots that regular television uses. With online television your options are endless. If you want to watch "House" at 3:00 in the morning then you can. With regular television your ability to access shows whenever you want is severely limited. 

You also save a lot of money with online television. Most online television websites only make you pay one payment that is around 50 to 100 dollars. And some sites like YouTube and hulu let you watch some shows for free. With regular television you are stuck with a monthly bill that can reach a ridiculous amount of money. Online television can save you a lot of money and saving money is a very important thing to do these days. 

So online television has so many pros and it is just smarter to use online television. You don't have to deal with commercials and you can access pretty much any show that you like. Regular television is a thing of the past and online television is the future. Why deal with the all the flaws of regular television when you can enhance your television viewing experience with online television. 

Regular television seems to like to focus more on advertising then their shows. You can't watch a half hours show without at least 5-10 minutes of commercials. Its ridiculous how much commercials there are in one show. 

In conclusion online television is something that everyone should be using. Online television is probably one of the greatest things to happen to the Internet because now we can watch all our favorite shows whenever we want. You may not get as great as a picture as regular television has but still the fact that we can watch shows for free and watch them at anytime overshadows that small con. So if you want to find a better way to watch television, online television is your option.

Traditional Education v. Online Education

Traditional schooling has come under fire in recent years because of the rise in popularity of online schooling. However, the cons of online schooling outweigh the pros. There are many reasons why someone would choose to drop out of high school and pursue an online education, but in the end their social and cooperative skills will suffer more because there is no physical interaction between students and teachers. It is clear that in a world where cooperative skills and connections are more important than book knowledge that online education does not fully prepare its students for that task. Another problem with virtual education is the business of scamming. Many online degrees that are offered have no value when put against a degree from a university. It is easy for people to work hard at an online degree, only to realize that it is not accredited or reputable.

Although people often encourage online classes because they can be completed at your own pace, it is often deceiving. As a student who has taken multiple online courses I know the difficulty of completing everything before the end of the semester. A student has to have the motivation to work piece by piece at the course, and many high school students do not possess that type of character. It is not appealing to have to sit down and work for three hours at a time just staring at a computer screen. Some people say that you can earn a high school diploma in as little as one week, which seems extremely fishy. I would say that in spite of the "cons" of traditional schooling it is still better than online education because there is physical interaction and at school you are forced to work with others. Online high school or college can be more challenging and not nearly as beneficial in the end.

Virtual High School is certainly a highly contested practice. Time after time, arguments and court cases have arisen debating the merit of online courses, whether or not they can truly take the place of actual, hands-on, real-life teaching. One such debate occurred in 2006, following the creation of an online VHS laboratory for science classes. The professor who created it invested a good deal of time in its creation; he worked with video game designers, to create an interactive media outlet through which students could perform potentially dangerous experiments without fear of harming themselves, others or school property.

It wasn’t long before suspicion grew, and the College Board confronted said professor, and presented a panel of extremely intelligent, attentive college professors to examine his online laboratory. The Board was unsure that the cyberspace version of dissecting a human may not match its equivalent when it comes to the pressure of a real-live situation.
“Professors are saying that simulations can be really good, that they use them to supplement their own lab work, but that they’d be concerned about giving credit to students who have never had any experience in a hands-on lab,” says Trevor Packer, one who assists in the Board’s AP placement decisions. “You could have students going straight into second-year college science courses without ever having used a Bunsen burner.”

Such cases are the main problem with VHS. Online, impersonal schooling that does not conform to the student’s unique traits can never compare to a human teacher, who can understand, work around and produce results from any abnormalities that a student might have. Don’t get me wrong; VHS is a stellar program to function for those who might find education otherwise inaccessible; in regard to that, I can find no better system. However, as a replacement for traditional schooling, I’m afraid that VHS will never be a true rival or substitute.

-Peter and Hannah-

Kyle Formal Writing vs Instant Message Speak

The newest debate between English teachers isn't if Shakespeare is the best, it's about the English language dying. Some teachers believe that because of instant messaging English will change so much it will become a dead language. If a language is changing how will it become a dead language? "Languages are always changing, and that's a fact that language snobs need to get over and accept - because the only language that doesn't change is a dead language, like Latin," said Derek Denis (The Boston Globe). English isn't being changed drastically, actually it is only being changed by making words into abbreviations. Is making words into abbreviations actually changing the English language or is it "killing" it? The two most common abbreviations are haha and lol (laugh out loud). Other abbreviations include u (you), ur (your), and ttyl (talk to you later). Even if a teenager doesn't have a computer or a cell phone they know most of the "words." Anther thing teachers believe is suffering in formal writing is spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. They believe that the students don't know the difference between formal and non-formal writing when they are writing a paper. Spelling suffers because most if not all users drop letters in words. Some of the most common words with dropped letters are wen, wat, kno, and b. Capitalization suffers because of the the instant message "code." The only time letter are capitalized are when the user is "yelling," in names, or when the user wants get their point across strongly. The punctuation suffers because the things that are said don't need punctuation.

I don't believe that formal writing is suffering because of the abbreviations. In a study about 63% of students said that they type the same as they writing in school. But, 64% of the students in the study said that they do mistakenly use the short hand in school. 74% of students in the study said that texting and instant messaging does not change how they write in school. When i write a first draft I sometimes write in the short hand and then go back and fix it. The instant message words do help me in school because I can get my ideas down before i have to write everything out. So does instant messaging and text effect the way the students write?

Kyle 2.4

This is kind of strange but i want to learn how to do this. It's speed painting with spray paint.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY1Lr-yGtd8&feature=channel

Kyle 2.2

Wildfires Plague Town in Texas Panhandle
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/weather/04/05/texas.wildfires/index.html?eref=rss_us

Over 12,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle have been destroyed because of wildfire. Eight homes have also been destroyed. The wildfires began Saturday afternoon in Wheeler. 300 homes and 60 businesses were threatened after the fires were fueled by high winds. 200 residents form the town of 1,400 were forced to evacuate. Authorities think the fire was started because of a down power line.

Peter - Late 4.2

Dozens dead in Italian earthquake

This Monday, a earthquake struck Rome and wreaked havoc with the families residing there. The families were devastated as dozens perished and many more lost their homes.
Although the quake only lasted 30 seconds, it was ranked at a magnitude 6.3, which is catastrophic for an earthquake.
"It was the apocalypse, our house collapsed. It's destroyed, and there's nothing left to recover," says resident Maria Francesco.
Other than houses, many other buildings were severely damaged, including some churches and public libraries.
Among those to offer their condolences were President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/06/italy.quake/index.html

~Peter

Kyle 2.3

This year we read The Catcher in The Rye and I can honestly say that is the only book I've ever read for school. It is about a teenage boy that doesn't want to grow up and is having a tough time dealing with the fact that u can't stop things from happening. The book was interesting to me, mainly for the fact that most of the stuff the boy thought about we all think about at least once in our lives. Well, not everything but most of the "minor" things he thinks about. They way he traveled and where he traveled was a metaphor of growing up. He wasn't accepted at his home but he somehow ended up back there. The person in his life that he was attached to the most was his sister. This is another reason why I think this is a good book. Everyone has had a person that they are extremely attached to and if they have died you know how sad you were after the death. But if they haven't died then you always want to see them or talk to them. The boy in the book missed his sister so much that he went back home just to see her and tell her that everything was alright. The last main reason why i like this book so much is because of the realization of the boy. He realizes he can't stop form growing up and he can't stop things from happen. The way he realizes this is by watching his sister on a carousel. Something so simple as that brought him to tears, and if you have never had an experience like that you will. You might not be brought to tears but you will have a large realization at some point. What I learned form the book is that some of the biggest life lessons can be learned from the simplest things.

Alex 2.3

When I was in 6th grade we had to read a book then get up in front of the class and tell everyone what it was about and what happened. I can't remember what book I chose, probably because I didn't read it. When it was time to get up in front of the class and talk about the book I got up in front and just kinda made up a story that went with the cover and title. When I sat down I thought I was going to get a really bad grade and she would know I didn't read the book. I ended up getting a pretty good grade and not having to do any work at all.

Kyle 4.2

The "Endlessly Entertaining" Music of M. Ward
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/05/m.ward.holdtime/index.html?eref=rss_us

M. Ward has made taking old songs and making them new his own. The song "Fisher of Men" starts off with Johnny Cash song until a string arrangement kicks in. Another song called "Rave On" is a Buddy Holly song with a little bit of 60's and Sonic Youth put in the mix. Ward the likes the unusual pairings in his arrangements. He worked with artists like Neko Case, My Morning Jacket, Cat Power, and Bright Eyes.

Kyle 4.2

Urinating Dog Triggered Argument Resulting in 3 Officers' Deaths
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/05/pittsburgh.officers.shot.dog/index.html?eref=rss_us

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania three police officers were shot after responding to a domestic argument, triggered by a urinating dog. The officers were the first department deaths since 1995. The man who fired the shots will be charged with three counts of homicide, aggravated assault, and other charges. The man was hospitalized after being shot in the leg during the four hour stand off.

Alex-2.1

Next Saturday I am getting a new pet, I am getting a ball python. I am going to a reptile expo in Manchester at the Raddison. Ball pythons get anywhere from 4-6 ft long and when full grown will eat a small rat every week. I have wanted a ball python since this last summer but my mom said I should wait and see if I can handle all the animals I already have. I am pretty sure that I will get a female because they get bigger and are not as aggressive. I am pretty excited about getting her and can't wait.

3.5 Johnny

I just watched Derek's video about the things that were popular in the 2000s. I think that it is a good video that has a variety of things like game systems, TV shows, and presidents. The only thing that I don't like about it is that President Bush definitely was not popular in the 2000s, at least in my opinion

Here is the link to the media:
http://animoto.com/play/CYWc1EwuZ0WjGonuEggObg?autostart=true

Alex 2.1

The last day of third quarter was my last day at King Street. For third quarter I had a study hall for 6th period at King street. Most of the time I had no home work so I just sat there doing nothing. So Mr. Kingsbury put me in a class for 4th quarter, I am in Claymation with Mrs. Wilson. I was at King Street for about a year, I think it is a good program because it caught me up on my credits if I didn't go there I would probably still be a freshman.

Kyle 2.1

Ever sense the chorus director in my church found out I can sing I have bee asked to sing in church. I have sang for some of the major services like Christmas and Good Friday. Because Good Friday is this week I was asked to sing with two other girls for the service. It is a song I can learn very easy because i have heard it before and because of chorus I have learned to memorize songs quickly. We have only practiced the song a few times and i think we will be ready for Friday.

Kyle 2.4

I came across this video while trying music to find music to listen to. It is an acapella version of Michael Jackson's Thriller. One man, 64 parts. His english isn't that great but it is still amazing.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDkbNM6cgSI&feature=related

Kyle 2.1

A few days ago I got my new cell phone in the mail. I was excited until I realized I can't use it until sometime in May. I can't use it until then because we have Unicel. Verizon bought out Unicel so everyone with Unicel has to get Verizon phones. This brings me to my other problem. My Unicel phone I have right now only works in Colebrook, Piermont, Connecticut, and one spot in Littleton. So if I ever have to call someone it wont work. So, I have two cell phones and they both don't work. Well at least I didn't get my phone stolen again.

John 4.4 late

Halo is hands down one of the best games for the Xbox 360. This video clearly illustrates how amazing the story is and how vibrant the visuals are. The story is brought to a close at the end of this game, and the ending is probably one of the best ones that I have seen for a game ever. I would have say that all around this game is one that you should get out there and buy.

Here is the link to the video
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/82393.html

John 4.2 late

I recently did a current event for my Government Civics class about a man who lost his job at the University of Colorado for writing a news article about 9/11, referring to the victims as "little Eichmanns" Adolf Eichmann was a Nazi who was very involved in the extermination of the Jews during WWII. The man who wrote the article was wrongfully accused and was compensated only $1.

2.4 Late Nick DeCosta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrO83v6X8lI&NR=1

This is a really good song b one of my favorite bands. if you listen to the lyrics it means a lot. Not really but I don't know... i guess i just like the fact that its heavy metal.

2.3 late Nick DeCosta

I remember having to do a book report in 5th grade that i didn't read the book for. I got a 100% on it because my teacher ha never read the book so i made a very convincing lie. I was so nervous when i was up there though I was like shaking wicked.

2.2 late nick decosta

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/03/alaska.volcano.oil.tanks/index.html

I agree with this article because as a nation we need to be looking for even one drop of crued oil that we can tap into without having to pay for from a foreign export. I think this is a Big deal and will help our economy a little bit.

I Bet You Guys Are Getting Pretty Tired of Dinosaur Comics, Huh?

Late 4.1

That's too bad. It's my last recourse.

IN TODAY'S EXCITING STRIP!

T-Rex cites a list of which no good could ever come. Oddly enough, there are only two bullets on the list! There should be much more, such as "Do I look fat in this?"

At any rate, the two quotes cited in his list are "What do you mean you don't love me?" and "I've always seen you as the mother I never had."

Youchy.

~Peter

WHOA.

Late 4.1

In today's Dinosaur Comics, a distraught T-Rex informs us of how his pet dog ran away.

I KNOW!

However, shortly after, we learn that he did not feed his dog for two weeks and five days straight.

In short, T-Rex's dog should have fled from his home long before that.

The strip ends with a twist!

~Peter

Curiosity : SATISFIED

Late 4.1

The innovative T-Rex observes the value of the word "bicurious!" While I am certain this is a word nobody has ever heard before, I am sure T-Rex finds it quirky and enigmatic! Enough so to use it in everyday conversation, anyway.

Afterwards, Utahraptor approaches to discuss the word's attributes with T-Rex.

What a boring life these two must lead, that the high point of their day is lexicon discussion.

Sad.

~Peter

2.4 Late Nick DeCosta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d80J5ahfTCc&NR=1
This used to be my favorite song and i know all the words and its pretty cool because i haven't heard it in like 2 years. it brings back good and bad memories of when i was a kid and its a pretty cool song.

2.3 late Nick DeCosta

Recently I watched the movie monsters vs. aliens. It was a funny movie but is more orrientated for Children 9-12. I think that it will be a big hit though for wee children. It got a 3* o of 5* in the nick critic association.

2.2 late nick decosta

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/02/north.korea.rocket/index.html
I think that japan would be seriously stupid to mess with Korea. Those Koreans are crazy and they have a strong millitary.

2.1 Late Nick DeCosta

I started baseball two weeks ago. I really hope that i can be successful with this. I only wanted to join so i could loose weight but now i am getting attatched to it. Its a pretty cool sport and i hope i can stay on with my grades.

Ding Dong, the Spot's All Gone

4.2

The Great Red Spot of Jupiter is a millenium-old storm that constantly ravages Jupiter. The storm is monumentally large, as much as three Earths across, and has not dissipated at all in its interminable time of existence.
But now, here's the thing--IT'S DISAPPEARING.
The Great Red Spot, for reasons unknown to us, has begun to shrink. If this continues, the Great Red Spot could theoretically vanish off the face of Jupiter.
Who cares?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/04/02/jupiter.red.spot.shrinking/index.html

~Peter

Dinosaur Comics

Dinosaur Comics, by Ryan North, is an innovative web-comic based around a 27-year-old tyrannosaurus, and his compadres, Utahraptor and Dromiceiomimus. The appearance of every strip is exactly the same; North uses a template to form his strips. Surprisingly, the Dinosaur Comics entertains massive attention on the web, and is one of the more renowned web-comics out there, along with XKCD, Cyanide & Happiness, etc.

The comic revolves around the whimsy, interest and sexuality of its main character, T-Rex. Dromiceiomimus and Utahraptor make cameos in the 3rd, 4th and 5th panels, most often as comedic foils.

This is T-Rex. This is his whimsy.

It should be noted that Dinosaur Comics is the only tab on my Google Reader that I even come CLOSE to remotely using.

~Peter

4.2- Derek Dube

Iran has responded to the video message Obama sent to them to try to make ammends with the Iranian people and government. Aliakbar Javanfekr, an aide to the Iranian president stated that "The Iranian nation has shown that if can forget hasty behavior, but we are awaiting pratical steps by the United States." He also stated "By fundamentally changing its behavior, America can offer us a friendly hand. So far what we have received have been unfriendly fists." But only time will tell if Obama's video will really change our relationship with Iran. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/,ar/20/barack-obama-iran-message

2.1 Nick

I got to drive my truck for the first time yesterday. My mom let me blow donuts in a school parking lot. I own a 89' Chevy 2500 silverado. It is a BEAST

4.4 John

Today, I watched a video podcast that was made by Element Skateboards. It featured pro skateboarder Bam Margera skateboarding in Barcelona with some of his friends. The video featured them using local parks and other places in the area as things to do tricks off of. I thought that it was a great video that really captured the culture and fun of skateboarding.

4.1- Derek Dube

I read the review of "I Love You, Man" that I got off google reader and the article said that the movie was pretty good and that it was hilarious. I am glad that I read the review because I am planning on going to see a movie this weekend and now I want to see "I Love You, Man". But hopefully they aren't lying to me or else I will be mad. But I love to watch movies, I have watched so many movies in my life that its not even funny. 

http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/la-et-love20-2009mar20,0,1745085.story

2.4 Alex

The music video for "Pork and Beans" by Weezer is probably the funniest ones I have ever seen. They video has a bunch of people that put videos up and have a lot of views, the guys that do Numa Numa, Chocolate rain, and the diet coke and mentos experiments are all on there, they also make spoofs of some videos. I think it is pretty well shot and it is hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI

Turkeys

Turkey season is in a little while

ASP!

2.1

Yesterday, I got a letter from St. Paul's School, informing me that I'd been accepted to their Advanced Studies Program this summer!

I'm really excited. I'm going in for a Studio Arts course, which I think will really, REALLY benefit me in the future. There's nothing better I could be doing at the time.

Surprisingly, I'm only one of three people from Woodsville who applied. My mom said that she thinks a lot of people are scared off by the price, but that St. Paul's is WONDERFUL about financial aid. We now have 2 of the 3 thousand dollars off the price in financial aid--we only have to pay about $800!

I'm so excited that I'll finally be meeting new people with radiant personalities, as well as participating in activities that I have a legitimate interest in, and learning about something I've always wanted to do! This is great!

~Peter

2.2 Alex week 3

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_fe_st/odd_dog_act;_ylt=Al39nyk1hzRy6ExL9Txlp2rtiBIF

A 32 year old Texas man was arrested in Mansfield, La when construction workers saw him walking around on his hands and knees, eating mud, and growling like a dog. The woman that he was with said that he had been wandering around the complex eating dog food. The police found a small bottle of PCP, a half pound of marijuana, and one- forth ounce of crack cocaine on the man. he was charged with possession with intent to distribute. He is at the Desoto Detention Center where jailers could keep an eye on him. I think that this guy must have been using all of those drugs if he was acting that crazy. I think he must have some brain damage from all of that drug use.

Week 3

section 2.3

This relates to the academic presentation, but in a way that may not seem so obvious.

One lesson I have learned working with mentally handicapped people is that patience is key. This is always something I have been lacking in. When I want things done, I want them done now. When you work with special ed kids that is far from the case. There is one girl who I have worked closely with for the semester, and she is leaving on Friday because she will be 21. Although she will never know, she has taught me as much as I have tried to teach her. I have never experienced such raw emotion with anyone, and it can be overwhelming, but also refreshing. When she is sad, she is sad, but when she is happy it almost makes me cry because she is so content. I have never been able to express myself in simple terms, but she has helped me smile, even after she has made me frustrated. That is one of the rewards of working with these kids. They can make you love them, no matter what they have done.

I can't say that every moment has been loads of fun and exciting in the class, particularly when we have to do reading comprehension, but I would say that if I wasn't sure of what I wanted to do after college I would probably consider working with kids like this. People say I have a way with the kids, but I have also had practice with my own brother. It's not hard...just time consuming and exhausting. The mentality has to switch from a one that questions and finds answers to everything to just trying to get them to say the answer and understand it. Although my brain cells sometimes feel like they are dying (the owl is eating the mouse, what is the owl eating?) it is also such a reward to hear them shout "MOUSE!"

I suppose I will miss the girl and the way she greets me in the morning, but that's life.

Week 3

section 2.4

http://www.anseladams.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=195 (this where I got the picture)

Ansel Adams is perhaps one of the best natural photographers in the 20th century. He was able to capture the simplicity of the scene, but add a certain beauty that only clean simple can bring. We have some of his Redwood photos in our bathroom and when I was little I thought my dad took them. It always bewildered me because whenever he took pictures of the family they turned out all blurry. I suppose now I know the truth, my dad really is a horrible photographer, but Adams is wonderful.

I picked this photo because it shows the endlessness of nature and that things will continue to grow even in the face of difficult conditions. The tree looks like it has grown over the rock, which shows the great ability the tree has to grow. I like how Adams photographed in black and white because it adds to the starkness, but beauty, of the picture.

I want to go the places he has captured on film, which is I suppose the best compliment for a photographer. Hopefully this summer I will be able to go the Redwoods again. They really are something if you haven't ever been.

2.4 John

Today, I listened to a podcast that Nick, Alex and I made last week. I have to say that it is a great piece of work and it should be renowned as the greatest work of art ever created in the history of mankind. Thank you.

2.3

http://www.cartoon-factory.com/cartoon_art/426715-Creature%20From%20Another%20Planet.html
I sometimes feel like i am from a different planet trying to get other people off it. That is from my Martian side. From Daffy's side for some places i am trying to get into but are being denied and sitting there trying not to get shot down.

Week 3

section 2.2

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/17/oj.simpson.site/index.html

O.J. Simpson is in the news once again, except this time it is a legal group that believes Simpson was wronged in his latest court appearance. The group, the "Society Against Legal Injustice, says Simpson's case was mishandled and he deserves an appeal. The group lists what it calls errors in the case, including the contention that Simpson was targeted because of his controversial acquittal in the killings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her companion Ronald Goldman in 1995." They are asking the public for money so that Simpson can have a chance at an appeal, which they assume will cost around $1 million. The group said that Simpson was not a wealthy man anymore, therefore was at the mercy of the Los Vegas courts. (Let's petition for everyone who has an unfair trial in this country and who is not wealthy, that would certainly help all the people with money problems currently). Simpson was charged in December of robbery and assault and was sentenced for a maximum of 33 years. He is eligible for parole in nine years.

I say to this article, "Absurd, there is no one way I would give of my money freely to a man who everyone knows killed his former wife and her friend. No matter that it wasn't proved in court, everyone knows. He even wrote a book about it. He is a manipulator and is where he belongs. Isn't it funny that people always get what they deserve in the end?

2.3 John

I have been reading some of Dean Koontz's novels in my spare time lately, and I have to say that I have been greatly impressed. The way that he writes his stories just makes me want to continue reading until I finish the book, which doesn't happen very often for me. He uses all of the literary techniques needed to make a book a great one, and he does it so well that I am not surprised that he is a famous author. I would recommend most of his books, like Velocity and Fear Nothing, because I feel that they are worth reading and will not be a waste of your time.

2.1 Alex Butler, Week 3

Last night me and my mom had to got to the baseball meeting. Baseball practice starts next Monday, even though there is no school that day. I played last year to so I know the coaches and what to expect. I also know coach Kingsbury from King Street, and I know coach Putnam from the farm that I did a vocational program at. I am pretty excited about the start of baseball but it is going to kick my butt because I am so out of shape.

2.2

700 swimmers were in a big race. A hammer head shark started surrounding them and they didn't t know a thing about it. The coast guards didn't try to get the swimmers out but diverted the sharks away from them. "There was a second shark swimming under them that could not be seen..." I think that would be bad if there was a shark following me swimming in the water.

Week 3

section 2.1

It seems that the school year has moved extremely slowly, but at the same time has flown by. I can't help but count down the days until I am out of here. The only thing I am move excited about then graduation is knowing where I will going afterwards. In the next two weeks I will hear from the rest of my colleges (Dartmouth, U of Chicago, Northwestern, and Champlain), which means the suspense of the past year will finally be over.

It seems that junior year is the start of all the college action, with people starting to take their SATS (Stupid Arduous Time Suckers). Then it starts to pick up during the fall when applications start being submitted. Christmas break comes and people rush to finish the apps before the January deadline. Then, when everything you think is fine and dandy you get nailed with financial aid deadlines. More paper and more forms. You think you can take a break after that's finished, but no...it's time for scholarship applications.

The only year is a complicated mess of paperwork, tax returns, deadlines, and recommendations. I will be able to finally rest easy after May (hopefully). I feel like I've aged about forty years in this one year. Do I have grey hair yet??

2.2 John

I recently read an article about how many people are shaving their heads to help raise funds for childhood cancer. This organization, called the St. Baldricks Foundation, has raised an upwards of 51 million dollars worldwide for cancer research. They hold shave-a-thons, which is similar to a walk-a-thon, where many people line up to have their heads shaved and they collect pledges. I think that this is a great cause, and the money is not just going to one type of cancer research like most of these things do, it is going to all types of cancer research, which makes it much better. I would definitely shave my head in order to help children in need, no doubt.

The Divine Comedy

Dante views the wretch Satan, frozen in Cocyrus, doomed to chew Judas for eternity.

2.3

The first part of The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri, details Alighieri's journey into Hell, as guided by the Roman poet Virgil. Virgil and Dante travel into the Earth, through the Nine Circles of Hell. The Circles are arranged concentrically, directly below Jerusalem, moving towards the center of the Earth.
As Virgil and Dante pass through each Circle, they survey the sinners punished there as Virgil explains how and why they are so imprisoned. In the final Circle, the Ninth, Dante and Virgil encounter Satan. The fallen angel Lucifer is in the form of a monstrous, grotesque beast imprisoned in the ice of the lake Cocytus. He has three mouths, with which he eternally chews on the sinners Brutus, Cassius, and Judas Iscariot.
After leaving Hell, Dante and Virgil venture to Mount Purgatory, where they scale the heights. Along the way, Dante and Virgil encounter all of those who did not repent until the last minute, and are now forced to live out their time on Earth in Purgatory before they can gain entrance to Heaven.
At the summit of Mount Purgatory, a sleeping Dante is confronted with an angel, who purges him of the recently-accreted sin remaining from his journey through Hell, and Dante is forced to endure many of the trials of Purgatory before proceeding to Heaven.
Upon entry to Heaven, Dante's guide, Virgil, disintegrates, being a pagan. The woman Beatrice descends, and assumes Virgil's position as guide, and Dante and Beatrice journey through the Nine Spheres of Heaven.
Each Sphere, similar to Hell and Purgatory, is allotted to a single noble attribute, or one that is lacking in one of the devoted.
In the final Sphere of Heaven, Dante and Beatrice view God as a point of light, surrounded by swarming and frothing rings of angels. Beatrice leaves Dante, as at this point, theology has reached its limit. At last, Dante approaches the Almighty and views him for true.
God appears to Dante as three radiant orbs mingling with each other, in representation of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
In viewing God, Dante's soul is scoured with absolution, making his life and love fit together, and Dante experiences omnipresent unity. The book ends as Dante regards the circles, trying to comprehend just how they fit together.

Dante lays eyes upon God, surrounded by rings of angels.

The Divine Comedy is, without question, one of the most in-depth and penetrating analyses of religion, Heaven and Hell in existence. It is over 14,000 lines long.
The Divine Comedy, while providing inspiration for artists and authors of all variety, also frequently provides a focal point for religious antagonism. While Dante wrote the Comedy with a unifying clarity and meticulous attention to detail, many religious devotees despise a work so exact. As Dante's work is so widely accepted, they are irate at its ability to easily become the belief of many, and, at length, to become a universal belief. Some believe Dante to be a madman, while some truly believe that Dante did travel to all three sacred Realms.
In the end, as is the truth with all religions...who knows?

~Peter

2.1

I have trouble speaking in a car. I can't tell you why but its like I'm trapped in a cage and cant get out.

2.1 John Miller

Basically the only thing that I am worried about right now is just getting through this week. I think that I just need a break from the normal things that have been going on in my life. This weekend will be completely dedicated to just chilling out with some friends and just having a good time. I am determined to have a great time this weekend, and I am not going to let anything get in the way of that.

Duct Tape Prom

2.2
The students of Swainsboro High School took on a monumental project this year; for their prom, they wore tuxes, dresses and adornments made almost entirely out of duct tape.
The purpose of such a wardrobe malfuction was to participate in a contest--Duck Brand Duct Tape's "Stuck at Prom" competition. The winners could receive up to $3,000 in scholarship money, although all the duct tape did cost just short of $4,000. The school's art club helped fundraise for the "materials."
This year, 80 students participated, up from 25 last year.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/15/duct.tape.prom/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

~Peter

Seas Would Rise When I Gave the Word

3.4

This is an image I made a few months ago when I was depressed and had nothing to do, so I decided to just follow a tutorial I'd found online on how to make pictures like these. Action's better than inaction, anyway.

Anyway, this picture resembles a commercial they did about a year ago for Apple's iTunes, using the above special effect and playing the song "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay. It was wicked cool, and remains to this day one of my favorite songs.

This picture is still my profile on Facebook and Myspace, just because I like it so much. I know next to nothing about Photoshop; I guess it's amazing what you can do if somebody's watching you every step of the way.

Enclosed is the URL for the music video to Viva la Vida, just so you can rock out while you look at the image.

Cheerio!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5TNK-TvIcI

~Peter

2.4-Alex Butler

I am really glad that Mrs. Wilson let us do this "Steakumms Rap" because it was really funny and we worked on it for like 2 or 3 days. I think it came out pretty good compared to what it would have been if I was the only one working on it. I think that Steakumms are great.
http://abutler392.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2009-03-09T06_18_06-07_00

2.2 Kyle

A Lakeside, Florida police department. was called out to a bomb threat. As the police were called out a notice was sent out on Twitter. Resently many emergency service departments have been using social networking sites to inform the public about what is going on. "We think the police department has an obligation to get information out to the community through whatever means or mechanisms we have at our disposal," said Lakeland Police Assistant Chief Bill LePere. "Traditional media releases, expecting the local print media to pick it up and run it in the newspaper tomorrow, is 24 hours too late." They aren't just using social networking sites to inform the public in a quick way but they are also using them as a way to get press releases out to the public.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/13/police.social.networking/index.html

2.2- Alex Butler

A woman in Spokane, Washington bought a used couch from Value Village. When she got it home there was a "mysterious mewing" coming from the couch. One night her boyfriend felt something moving around in the couch, when he moved it there was a small calico cat there. They think the cat crawled out of a small hole in the back of the couch.

If that was me I'm not sure what I would do, maybe give the cat back to the store, or maybe to the humane society.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090313/ap_on_fe_st/odd_couch_cat;_ylt=AqOpzizobRO1cfLFi2rWjJDtiBIF

2.1 Kyle

Today is an amazingly scary day. Today I learned that I got into drivers ed. The reason why today is so scary is because my mother doesn't think I can drive. I am seriously tempted to video tape her driving one day to show her how her driving is. Now that I got into drivers ed I need to find a car and a job to help pay for the car. My dad has been helping me look for cars, I haven't found anything to promising. I am going to have to pay for it because I don't see why my parents should pay for a car that I would be paying for everything else on it. So, watch out on the road for me... and my mom.

Vietnam War slideshow

I just finished studying the Vietnam War in US Military History, and I created this thematic slide show based on my experience the unit.

4.1 Mele

Out of all the "staff favorites" on reader I would have to say my overall favorite would have to be cuteness overload. I know some people might think it is dumb but it is a collection of cute pictures of animals with some commentary on the side. It is updated almost daily and has over 40 pages of cuteness. I really think some people should check it out ^.^

http://www.cuteoverload.com/

2.1 Alex

Yesterday instead of coming to school I went to town meeting day in Warren. It was pretty cool to see how everything was done but it was also pretty boring, because I couldn't vote or anything. At the end of the day after all the voting I had to count ballots, it is a really long and boring process to count all the ballots.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS

2.3
For reasons of my own entertainment, I decided to read The Fellowship of the Ring again. For those of you who don't know, that's the first book in The Lord of the Rings cycle.

I read it once when I was 10, and believe it or not, I plowed through the whole gosh-darn book.

Unfortunately, back then, I forgot almost every last thing about it.

The Lord of the Rings is about a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins who comes into possession of a malevolent Ring with the power to render its wearer invisible. It was forged by the evil lord Sauron, who lost all his power when he lost his ring. The series is about the passage of Frodo and his companions as they make their way into the dark land of Mordor to destroy the Ring. On their way, they are beleaguered by agents of Mordor: orcs, devilish Uruk-Hai, and the dreaded Nine Ring-Wraiths.

"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."

~inscription on the interior of the One Ring, as translated from the ancient Black Speech


The above inscription details the One Ring's ability to control the multitude of other Rings of Power, being "the One Ring to rule them all." The One Ring, however, is as evil as its master, and longs for his finger above anyone else. It corrupts its owners--including the grotesque Gollum and the lovable Bilbo Baggins--and manipulates them in dark ways to return it to the hand of Sauron. Donning the ring and using its ability only hastens the process.

What makes me mention this, you ask? What is my connexion to this cruel and devilish device?

Well, I actually happen to have one in my back pocket right now.

Yeah! Seriously!

I don't know why, but on the way to school last week, I saw something glimmer in a magpie's nest. I picked it up and lo and behold, it was the One Ring!

One could assume that if the One Ring exists, then so does Sauron, the Lord of the Shadows. Consequently, if I'm in possession of the Ring, it shouldn't be long before he deploys a ridiculous Nazgul air-strike to take back his super-duper Ring.

In conclusion, I've been using the Ring to cheat on tests. Sauron can have it if he wants, I think I'm developing, like, seven mental disorders.

I mean, this is what the last guy who used the Ring a lot looked like.

Yeah.

~Peter

4.2 Mele

A pet store in Philadelphia expects a to get a shipment of tropical fish and salt water, but when they open the box they found a human body instead. He learned that he got the wrong shipment and the body was a 65 year old man who died of a disease and was suppose to be shipped to a lab in Allentown instead for medical research. The delivery people were deeply sorry for their mistake.

I think that they should have been more careful with delivering and reading addresses. I would get fairly angry if I went to go open up a package and a dead body was laying inside, I bet whoever got the shipment of fish was pretty shocked as well. They should really consider punishing whoever made the mistake because seeing a dead body can be scaring for some people.

Week 2-Hannah-

2.4

I recently found a song by Regina Spektor that I really like. Spektor is a songwriter from Russia who grew up in New York City. She incorporates Jewish style music with folksy beats that are quite unique. This song is interesting because the lyrics are a cynical look at the world. I like music that goes beyond the standard "I love you, but you don't love me so I'm going to go write a song that millions with listen to and think that they understand what I'm feeling but they really have no idea." Songs like that are fine and dandy and serve a certain purpose, but something with more meat is always better. (That's odd coming from a vegetarian).

Anyways, here are some of the lyrics from the song:

My rhyme ain't good just yet,
My brain and tongue just met,
And they ain't friends, so far,
My words don’t travel far,
They tangle in my hair,
And tend to go nowhere,
They grow right back inside,
Right past my brain and eyes
Into my stomach juice
Where they don’t serve my juice,
All melted calories,
Nutrition values.
And I absorb back in
The words right through my skin
They sit there festering inside my bowels

Got a soundtrack in my mind,
All the time. Kids-
Screamin' from too much beat up
And they don't even rhyme,
They just stand there, on a street corner,
Skin tucked in
And meat side out and shot,
And I’d like to turn them down
But there ain't no knob.
Run into picket fences
Not into picket lines.
All this hippie-s*** for the 60's
And another cliché for our time.
But one of these days your heart
Will just stop ticking,
And they sorta just don't find you till your cubicle is reeking.

Did you know that the gravedigger's still
Gettin' stuck in the machine
Even though it's a whole other daydream.
It's another town it's another world,
Where the kids are asleep, where the loans are paid
And the lawns are mowed.
Whad'ya think?
All the gravediggers were gone?
Just cause one song is done
There’s always another one,
Waiting right around the bend,
Till this one ends,
Then it begins
Quickly, then it starts all over again.

The weather report keeps on
Tossing and turning,
Predicting and warning,
And warning and warning of,
Possibly it could be news publications and,
Possibly it could be news TV stations. That
Very same morning right next to her coffee
She noticed some bleeding and heard hollow coughing and
National Geographic was being too graphic,
When all she had wanted to know was the traffic
“The worlds got a nosebleed” it said
“And we’re flooding but we keep on cutting
The trees and the forests!”
And we keep on paying those freaks on the TV,
Who claim they will save us but want to enslave us.
And sweating like demons they scream through our speakers
But we leave the sound on 'cause silence is harder.
And no one’s the killer and no one’s the martyr
The world that has made us can no longer contain us
And profits are silent then rotting away 'cause

The consequence of sounds

Week 2-Hannah-

2.3

This week I am reading Dracula for fun and it is even more interesting and terrifying the second time around. I read it during the summer when I was camping in the middle of nowhere and I didn't think it would be so scary. It is way better than any movie spin off of it because the writing is so gothic and eerie. Of course I have always preferred reading to watching a movie and I am particular when it comes to details that directors often leave out in films. Overall I think the book deserves more praise than it is given, and it should be added to the reading curriculum. The different themes that play out in the book make it more than a story about vampires and love.

One particularly interesting subtle theme that comes up is the representation of sexuality. This book was written in the Victorian Era when sexuality and expressing it was deemed filthy and unnecessary. Dracula and his three female companions represent wanton sexual desires that were being repressed in society. Even the spot that Dracula chooses to suck blood is clearly a symbolic reference because the neck was considered a private area of the body. The way the book was written, though, does not lead itself to thinking like this unless you really being to analyze the literature.

If you are looking for an adventurous novel that pulls you along then I would recommend this book to you. The gothic style of writing makes for a compelling read that will thrill you til the end.

Section 2.4 John

During the past few months, I have been listening to many of the classic rock bands from the 60s and 70s. Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Aerosmith, and many others. I can truthfully say that when you go from listening to this music to the modern music nowadays you will find that most of the new music that you hear on the radio is very bad. I mean seriously, some of this new stuff shouldn't even be considered music, because from what I can see it uses none of the essential things that makes music good. I think that if modern artists would use the techniques that most of these older bands use they would be much more popular.

Week 2-Hannah-

2.2

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/09/us.religion.less.christian/index.html

This article was talking about how Christianity and religion is on the decrease since 1990. The general feeling of no religion is contributed to the "radical shift towards individualism over the last quarter-century. [the author] also said the revelation that some Catholic priests had sexually abused children -- and senior figures in the church hierarchy had helped to hide it -- drove some Catholics away from religion. And, he said, it is now more socially acceptable than it once was to admit having no religion." I agree that you are not considered such an outcast if you say you don't belong to a church than you would have if you said that 10 or 15 years ago. I think this trend is a good one because religion has the power to tie down a country and strangle it in beliefs that do not necessarily pertain or hold the country's best interest in mind.

I found it interesting that the megachurch population has grown to over 8 million people. Personally, I am freaked out by megachurchs because worship to me means a private and spiritual thing. I don't see how that can be accomplished with television cameras trained on you and when you are surrounded by masses of people.

My opinion of religion has influenced my thoughts on this story, but I understand that to some religion plays a key role in staying connected to reality.

section 2.3 John

Currently in my Government Civics class we are watching a musical called 1776. The musical portrays the representatives from each of the 13 colonies voting on whether or not to attempt to declare independence from Great Britain, using songs and dance like a musical would. I personally think that this is a waste of time considering nobody in the class seems to be learning anything that pertains to government civics.

2.4 Mele

Over the past few weeks I have been addicted to ABDC. I watched almost every episode and kept myself updated with who got voted out and such. The last episodes came near and I was sure almost positive that Beatfreakz were going to take the win because they were never in the bottom and always put on amazing performances no matter what. In the last episode they were one of the last two with quest crew. I watched excitedly and right when they when they announced the winners they said QUEST CREW. I was extremely angry and was about to break my TV. I really don't know how this happened because quest crew sucked =[ ohh well....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4H7J5HwKCg&feature=related
^^A video of their amazing dance skills haha^^ =D